Three bits of helpful information for your health

Every once in awhile I run into items or articles which I think would be of interest to all of you. These are usually little bits and pieces of information; not enough for a blog. What I like to do is to lump them all in a “stew” of an article. This blog, today, will consist of unrelated subjects which I have found helpful in dealing with all that I must.

Swine Flu: Oh, come on, we’ve got to talk about this because everyone is. I know it’s a matter of concern but first of all, let me say, “Everybody calm down.” If you want technical updates, Dr. Z’s blog at this site is excellent. He is covering all the bases of this potential epidemic. Dr. Krutka also has covered the pediatrician’s point of view. There is not much I can add to either one of these excellent blogs except to tell you what I am going to do.

I’m going to wash my hands, long and hard, using lots of soap and lots of friction. I intend to continue wiping the cart handle at the supermarket, remembering to let it dry briefly before touching it. I am going to carry a bottle of Purell or other type of alcohol based hand sanitizer in the car and use it when I get back into my car after leaving any public place in which I have touched anything. I am going to continue to avoid fruits and vegetables grown in another country, particularly those grown in Mexico. I am not going to wear a mask at home or in public; unless someone is going to be blowing, sneezing or coughing right in my face, within two feet; I don’t think it’s necessary. I’m going to stay out of crowded placed because I am immunosuppressed due to many of the medications I am currently taking. I’m going to try to get more rest than usual, eat a well-balanced diet and remember to take my daily vitamins.

I’ll stay informed by EverydayHealth.com or the news but tune out or turn off the ignorant chatter all over the airwaves. I couldn’t believe some of the TV shows where individuals were talking about not eating pork. That’s just ignorant to assume there is any connection between swine flu and eating pork. So, let’s just all keep our senses, behave in a responsible manner and remember this is a flu. It isn’t the year 1918 and this is not cholera, smallpox or whooping cough. These are modern times with IV’s to replace fluids, antibiotics to handle secondary infections and anti-virals for those who truly need them. This is the USA, it isn’t Mexico. It’s an entirely different environment. How do I know? I’ve been to Mexico.

Probiotics & Acidophilus: Many years ago I worked for a group of ENT doctors. I was fairly young and had no idea how beneficial the naturally occurring cultures were. I contracted a severe strep throat with staph. The overgrowth yeast infection from all the antibiotics gave me a terribly sore mouth. We probably called it thrush. My doctor told me to squish buttermilk around in my mouth and then drink it. Now, it seems, everyone knows about acidophilus and all the benefits from the probiotics. More and more is being discovered about the benefits of these cultures. They are usually referred to as the “good bacteria.” Normally occurring in our gut, we kill them when we take antibiotics to kill infections. I wouldn’t dream of taking antibiotics, now, without also taking a broad range of probiotics either in the form of a liquid, capsule or powder. The liquids are either juice based or milk based. The most common ones I have found also contain helpful amino acids plus the most common culture of lactobacillus acidophilus. Powders and capsules are available in various strains as well as the old standby of yogurt or buttermilk. Most people aren’t that fond of buttermilk and turn to the yogurts. Just bear in mind you are also getting calories

Very specific strains can benefit certain conditions. There was an interesting article in Health magazine, Mar. 2009 on this subject. I found this particular article helpful because it broke down the information about the different types of cultures and which ones to use for certain conditions. For instance, I always struggle with Irritable Bowel Syndrome. Apparently, L. bulgaricus helps the GI tract be more suitable for the growth of two of primary good cultures we need in the bowel which are L. acidophilus, in the small bowel and B. bifidum which lives in the large intestines. Based on that information, I have been taking a multidophilus to aid digestion. There is also an excellent powder on the market which has more cultures and is so strong you only take ¼ tsp. of it. That’s good to know when you see the prices of some of these supplements. Most have to be refrigerated to keep the cultures alive.

If you’ve shopped for yogurt lately, the selection has grown into an amazing display of products. They have those which make you “regular,” others with cereal for bulk, etc. It’s important if you try any of these to check the expiration date. I find, with such a large selection on the store shelves, many of them are already expired and are not pulled from the shelves. The more common cultures like acidophilus are also now available in soups, candies, muffins, to name only a few. I don’t know how effective they are but if you don’t like yogurt, you might try them. This is a huge subject and I realize I’m only touching on it but if you have any digestive problems, yeast infection in the vagina or other places, you might want to know there are many choices out there. Maybe it’s time to start reading labels or any articles online on this subject by Dr. Andrew Weil.

Unusual Treatment for Plantar Warts: In his newsletter of Nov. 2008, Dr. Weil answered a question about treating plantar warts which many of us have. If you don’t want to have yours cut out by the podiatrist, you might be interested in this. Warts on the bottom of the feet are caused by the human papillomavirus (HPV) which enters in tiny cracks in your feet. They can become very uncomfortable to walk on over any long period of time. I have used straight tea tree oil on them in the past and found it somewhat helpful but this new treatment is easier, works great and makes you giggle a bit.

Dr. Weil suggests using duct tape. Yes, duct tape. I tried it and it works! Just cut a small piece of duct tape and place it over your wart or warts. Wear it all day, removing it only at night or when you get it wet in the shower. Every five or six days you are supposed to soak your feet and use a pumice stone on the area. It’s believed the irritation of the snug tape causes the body’s immune system to go to work on that spot.

That’s it for today. Three bits of information I thought you might find helpful because I did. Stay as well as you can.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Sue Falkner-Wood

Sue Falkner-Wood is a retired registered nurse living in Astoria, Ore., with her husband, who is also an R.N. Sue left nursing in 1990 due to chronic pain and other symptoms related to what was eventually...read more